Chung-Shin Yuan

We've only had the weekend Taiwanese brunch here. Food is pretty authentic with a good variety. Some of our favorites here are the soy milk, beef and scallions Xiao bin, and the steamed pork ribs with sweet potato. These are consistently good and well prepared, especially the Xiao bin which has a nice crispy crust. The soy milk actually have a lot of soy flavor and not too sweet. The beef noodle soup is fine but is mostly salty and has no depth of flavor. The filling in the chives pie is decent but the wrapping is greasy and doughy. Service is efficient though not very friendly. Prices are not cheap for the type of food. We come to this restaurant purely for the food. It's a bit dim inside and furnishings old but relatively clean. Overall, it's great to have this restaurant to get a taste of Taiwan that we miss.

If I ever miss Taiwan, all I have to do is have brunch here. Their salty tofu pudding with fried donut pieces were fantastic! I was surprised they carried this particular soup that's only available at the night market. The entire experience really brought me back home and gave me a nostalgic feel. Loved that the waitress had a Taiwanese accent as well when she was speaking in Mandarin to us. FYI: + Bring CASH for a discount. + They are SLAMMED during dimsum hours.

Weekend brunch "taiwanese dim sum" menu: Comes with complimentary tea. Got savory soy milk, peking meat sauce noodles (Chinese jjajjangmyeon), scallion pancake beef roll and pork steamed buns ( xiaolongbao, which is actually a steamed dumpling rather than a bun). The savory soy milk was tasty and came with some youtiao pieces in it, but a bit more sour than I'd like compared to other savory soy milk soups I had and didn't have any tiny salty shrimp in it. next time I'd try the sweet soy milk with a side order of youtiao to put in it as many of the other patrons were doing. The Chinese jjajjangmyeon was pretty decent. But I think I personally prefer the sweeter and saucier Korean jjajjangmyeon. The scallion pancake beef roll was kind of amazing. It was a crispy fried scallion pan cake rolled up with tender beef slices. I would 100% get this again. The pork steamed dumplings were pretty basic imo and nothing really out of the ordinary. I probably would not get it again. I was expecting a fluffy meat filled steamed bun/bao type, but the translation of the menu seemed off. The place is pretty busy and there was a little bit of a wait but they seem to cycle through the tables quickly.

My boyfriend and I love this place, we always get the eggplant dish as part of our meal. We tried the Bean threads with ground pork and it was delicious. I’m very impressed with the quality!

Worth visiting if you are looking for Taiwanese dim sum. There’s not that many options in the menu, but overall everything was great. Can’t wait to be back to try their other dishes!

What a great spot! My Chinese friend told me about this place so we tried it for lunch and boy was it worth it. The food was delicious and fresh and very reasonably priced. The restaurant looked very nice and clean and the staff was friendly. This may be the new go to Chinese food place for me and my friends!

Chung-Shin Yuan always seems to have a line before it opens on the weekends. After the initial first seating, the line died down dramatically. Perhaps my memory is bad, but I had thought they had people constantly waiting in the past. I'd describe the food as "homey dim sum" with the regional focus on Taiwan. Simple, direct dishes without any fussy "interpretation." Service was fast and efficient. And with fewer people waiting to get in, I felt more relaxed to eat without the pressure to leave and make room for the next guests.

The beef rolls and sliced pig ears are really delicious—I recommend giving them a try! However, the service is a bit slow, and the prices are on the higher side.

From trying out the food pre-pandemic to now 5 years later, the food still is top-notch! I always come for the Taiwanese-style breakfast in the morning, so have learned to arrive at least 20 minutes before they open to line up, especially when I come with a large group of 10+ people! Now I always order the following on repeat: * Soy Milk - definitely homemade and tastes fresh. I have to remember not to drink it too fast or it'll go into the wrong pipe! * Tofu Salad - the only place I've had this salad with century eggs!!! They're a surprising combo, and the garlic sauce makes this really savory. * Scallion Pancake with Beef Roll - sooo crunchy!! this is a pretty big dish with 6-7 pieces. * Pig Ear Salad - I really like the crunchy cartilage of this, along with the spicy chili oil kind of taste. * Pan Fried Buns - I appreciate how much meat there is inside the buns! Definitely a dish I would order with a group. * Steamed Spiced Spareribs - every time I order this, the meat is so tender, is just melts right off the bone! I really like the sweet potato at the bottom to balance out all the other flavors. * Taiwan Style Turnip Cakes - every surface area is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The sauce gives each piece a perfect finish so it doesn't taste dry. As a group, the cost turned out to be about $20-30 per person, depending on if you ordered the soy milk and/or fried dough and if you shared them. I like coming with a group of people because that means we can do family style and share a lot of things on their menu while still being full at the end and it brings the cost down to the $20s. Definitely will be back again!

We were in the Boston area for only two nights staying in Newton, and came here both mornings! Our friend highly recommended the Taiwanese brunch here. We decided to check out this spot the first morning. The two of us were recommended to start queueing 15 minutes before opening time of 11:30. We were running late and at 11:27 there was an already massive line of people wrapping around the corner of the building. It was baffling to see such a crowd just for some simple foods like doujiang and youtiao. Their judgement and sanity were put into question. We almost drove away immediately in despair but decided to try our luck. To our immense fortune, they have more tables available for small parties and we were barely able to squeeze into the first seating due to bigger parties ahead of us. On Sunday, we came to queue at 11:15 but there was nobody in sight. We thought they might be closed but turns out we were first in line. It was a lot less crowded Sunday, and although people came to queue, the restaurant never was full! Lesson learned. Between the two days, we ordered: - doujiang (sweet soybean milk): this was refreshing to drink given our order of fried foods. The sweetness varies per day but they have sugar at the table you can add if needed. - youtiao (fried dough): I love the taste of the salty yeasty dough, especially dunking it into the sweet doujiang. However, it was a bit too oily and I felt really full for the rest of the day. - scallion beef pancake: The crunch and flake factor on the pancake is superior. The beef is tender too. However, there was a slight lack of flavor and salt. We asked for chili sauce on the side and that was a smart addition. - fried turnip cake: A satisfying crisp exterior juxtaposed with a tender interior. These pieces served as a nice Besse for the savory sauce. - fried chive pockets: The fry on the pastry was good. Light and flaky exterior with a fragrant and aromatic interior. This struck a good balance between the heavier pastry and rejuvenating veggie/tofu filling. - Lu rou fan: This dish tasted fine but wasn't a standout. I wish the ratio of meat to rice was a little more. - steamed sticky rice spare ribs: This was nicely done. The ribs were fall apart tender with flavor that reached the bone. They were steamed atop a layer of pumpkin which was also really nice to eat to balance the oil from other foods. Also shout out to the complimentary tea at the table. It's the most delicious Asian tea I've eve Prices were a bit on the higher side, comparable to NYC but the quality was high. We don't live in Boston but we're definitely interested in trying more brunch items when we come back!

My partner and I got the Taiwan style turnip cake, youtiao (Chinese fried dough), shao bing five spiced beef sandwich, sweet soybean milk, spicy beef noodle soup, and spicy beef tripe salad - TASTE: 4/5 - favorites included the turnip cake, fried dough, and spicy beef tripe salad TEXTURE: 4/5 - loved the crisp crust and density of the turnip cake, as well as the classic fried dough PRICE: 3/5 - more expensive than expected and compared to other dim sum spots. Total came to $78 SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - good portions for the two of us sharing lunch SERVICE: 4/5 - actually tried coming in late March but learned, per the sign on the door and a subsequent call to their voicemail, that Chung Shin Yuan was closed for a ~month's break. We were super bummed and witnessed other folks make the same mistake. This time, we called to check they were open first lol. Meant to arrive at/before 11:30am opening, but actually got there at noon on a Sunday. Waited just 20min and got seated on the other side of a table that had a party of 3. Food came out 5-15min after ordering ATMOSPHERE: 3/5 - plant-filled, homey, and tight space. Overall glad we tried their Taiwanese style brunch PARKING: 4/5 - some dedicated spots in their lot, otherwise there are enough street spots along California St

What a busy restaurant, especially during opening hours as their is a line out the door to be seated. They don't have congee but they have the fried dough which you can dip in warm soymilk which they offer. Prices are a little high and portions are decent, not too much but not too little. We thought the food was subpar. The beef rolls were mainly dough over beef. The pan fried dumplings weren't too bad, good filling and skin. Service was really kind and efficient.

My friend told me months (if not a year) ago about this random Chinese place in Newton that served Taiwanese dim sum breakfast on weekends (as a Taiwanese person myself, I don't think 'dim sum' is the correct term but I suppose it encapsulates the correct sentiment). I was honestly quite suspicious at first, not most of all because of the seemingly isolated and dilapidated exterior that is featured on GoogleMaps street view (lol). However, I was still keen on giving it a shot, and I really do quite like Taiwanese breakfast foods, so my friend and I decided to stop by for lunch (brunch?) on a Sunday. I was incredibly pleasantly surprised when we went inside; the interior was flush with a very distinctive energy and decor that made me feel welcome, and just had, overall, a very uniquely Chinese-restaurant-in-America vibe. The scents of beef noodle soups, scallion pancakes, and so much more wafted out to the front of house, where there was a growing queue to be seated. We got there at around 12pm (they open at 11h30), and fortunately we were seated in just 5ish minutes, but I did see some people waiting for much longer. For the two of us, we ordered fried dough and soymilk (油條, 甜豆漿) - super delicious soymilk and perfectly crispy youtiao. It's really rare already to find this type of Taiwanese breakfast in the West, let alone of this quality and authenticity, so I was already absolutely elated with this. The scallion pancake beef roll (牛肉捲餅) was amazing - such a large (maybe too large,,) portions with juicy and tender cuts of beef. We had pan-fried buns (生煎包) which were soo good - soft, fluffy exterior that captured the rich aromas of the pork filling inside. Finally, we had the sweet tofu jello (豆花) which is one of my personal favourite desserts, finishing off the meal with me in a great mood. The cherry on top was the crazy low prices overall for this wonderful meal. Chung Shin Yuan honestly exceeded all my expectations, and I'm so glad that I came by this time! My one regret is that it is a little out of the way, especially if you live closer to downtown and don't drive - otherwise you'd find me munching on my youtiao and and turnip cakes here every weekend :)

This place went downhill. Food is mediocre and price is skyrocket. Not only that the dish is now smaller portion. I guess the owner really cares about making a profit not keeping the customer happy. Well you loose a long time customer.

This place does "Taiwanese" brunch on weekends. Food is mediocre, the fried dough came fresh from the fryer and is delicious but everything else was just alright.

A family favorite place for authentic Taiwanese dim sum. This place has been around since I was a kid going to Chinese school every Sunday morning. So many delicious dishes to choose from, it's hard to not over order! Last time I went the fresh soy milk was a bit watered down and not as sweet as I remember but it could have just been an off day. Love their seaweed salad and tofu salad with century old egg (my family favorite from childhood)

A solid place for Taiwanese brunch in Newton located next to McDonalds and across the fish market and small bakery. They only serve their Taiwanese dim sum on the weekends, so plan accordingly. Every time I go or pass by there's always a long line of people waiting to get in. I would recommend going early to be seated first or calling ahead to order for take out. I've tried a variety of their items including the Chinese fried dough, shao bing five spiced sandwich, sweet soy bean milk, Taiwan style turnip cake, pan fried buns, pork rolls, steamed spiced spare ribs, stir fried scallop rice sticks, and peking meat sauce noodle. The fried dough was great to dip in the soy bean milk, which has a very subtle taste that isn't too sweet. The shao bing sandwich bread is very flakey and packed full of meat. The spare ribs are flavorful and underneath them you'll find sweet potatoes as well. My favorites were the pork rolls and the stick sticks. The fried buns aren't small and can fill you up quickly. Overall, a great place to try out different small dishes with a group of people.

Not sure why people are complaining about pricing. Everything costs so much now. Normal working citizens can't eat out like they did pre-Covid. With that said, this place will never replace the now closed, Shangri-La in Belmont but it scratches that Taiwanese food itch... without having to go to Taiwan... The food is good for what it is. That fried turnip cake, intestines, soy bean milk, oil fried ghost, beef and "scallion" roll are good. The beef noodle soup is solid too. Its always busy, no reservations and last time we went, the AC was down and it was hot!

I was so disappointed during my recent visit. This place used to hold a special place in my heart. Boston rarely has authentic Taiwanese dim sum. Their food used to be so good and reasonable price. The two of us dined here lately with four small dishes. When I received the bill and saw $60+tax+tips, I just couldn't believe it! Service was way too pushy. Plates were dirty. We found hair in our dish but decided not to mention anything. They are trying to turn table in 20-30 mins. I do not recommend this place any more and will not come back. What a shame!

We had an over expectation before we got there. I don't know what is the customers this restaurant want to attract. We drove 20 mins to have a breakfast, but it just like the cafe under stairs my apartment.. The most interesting thing is that they have an amazing expensive pricing. So disappointed.

I think this is some of best Chinese food in the area. There used to be actually more than wilted cabbage in the egg rolls! Chicken and cashews is excellent and food is always good and ready on time. One of my top places in Boston though not available on weekends, which is too bad

They're currently closed till end of April. It would be great if they updated their Yelp and Google business hours so that I, along with others that day, don't find out upon arriving the restaurant. This was disappointing as I came from out of town.

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. They've been in business for 46 years! I first experienced them 18 years ago, when my then-boyfriend took me there for dinner, saying his family had been going for YEARS. I immediately fell in love with their Chung Shin Yuan Cod dish... a lightly floured cod fillet in a mild sweet and sour sauce punctuated with crunchy water chestnuts. Mmmmm! Their house dumplings (ravioli) are to die for too, as is their Moo Shi -- handmade, fresh pancakes, super fresh veggies. So delicious! I was in the area last night and called to place a to-go order because I've been craving the cod. Spoke to the NICEST woman to arrange what time I'd be arriving. Then ended up staying for sit-down dinner once I got there! The tofu with black mushrooms is delicious too, by the way! Service was fantastic. Quick, efficient & friendly. Had a nice conversation with the lady on our way out, reminiscing about how the restaurant decor has changed a bit over the years (no more dragon!) but how the good has remained deliciously consistent. From the outside, this restaurant doesn't look like anything special (and TBH, we refer to it as the 'Hole in the Wall'), but I like to think of it as a Hidden Gem. I hope they're around for another 46 years!

The best Taiwanese breakfast around and everyone knows it too which is why the wait is easily over an hour if you don't get here before opening at 11:30. The space is quite small and can be cramped but the servers are efficient and move quickly; that being said, please don't be the people who stay all morning, this isn't the establishment for that. MUST ORDER: Spareribs - super tender and flavorful, not your traditional Dimsum spareribs Soy milk with fried dough - made fresh in house so you can't get this anywhere else (not as good at least) Spicy pig ear salad - don't judge by it's name, it's extremely addicting Turnip cake - perfect texture and I normally don't even like turnip cake 5 spice beef sandwich - tender beef with nice flaky fried pancake as the "bun" Beef noodle soup - so much flavor and just damn delicious

Genuine Taiwanese and Peking food If you go on weekend they have a lot of traditional dim sum style dishes Service is great, just need to wait since the seatings are not enough Ambiance is traditional Chinese style so you hear taking and laughing all the time Food is coming out super fast!!! I will go back again when I miss Taiwanese food

food very mediocre, worst service possible and missing the noodles with takeout noodle soup. Yet they demanded more tips

Review for Taiwanese brunch: weekends only 11:30-2:30pm I ordered in English! The radish cake 5/5 made to my perfection! Pan fried to my liking! Beef noodle soup 4.5/5 The beef in this soup is so tender! Very good and good soup base! The spare ribs 5/5!!!! This is soo good it falls right off the bone and they have sweet potato on the bottom. They make the short ribs with some of the sticky rice over it. I seriously love this dish!! The tofu soup (hot) people order the fried dough with it (they don't come together) Literally every table had one. It's pretty good!! Not too sweet. The thousand year old egg with the tofu- I think they marinated the garlic too long it was very salty. 3/5 A lot of people like the pig ear- it's like eating cartilage texture- it wasn't bad but I don't like the smell - just my preference!

This review is only for brunch on the weekends: The Taiwanese noodle soup with chitlins are my absolute favorite here! That and the 5 spice beef sandwich. There is always a wait so line up about 10 min before the restaurant opens so you can immediately get seated when the doors open. Otherwise you'll be waiting for a bit. Take out is pretty quick though, so if you're craving Taiwanese noodles and don't want to wait 30min, go for take out! The only downside is that you can tell the employees are trying to get as many people in and out of the restaurant so it can sometimes feel a bit rushed towards the end of your meal.

I'm so glad that I found a place that serves Taiwanese breakfast, which brings back so many fond memories of good food while living abroad in Taiwan. Please note that breakfast is only served during the weekends, so plan accordingly. Plus, the lines start forming the moment it opens, so it is best to go 10-15 minutes before their opening if you want to be seated right away. The inside was a bit stuffy and hot. I'm not sure if the AC was not working that day, but with only the fans operating over the summer, my friend and I were sweating by the end of our meal. The waiters speak Mandarin and it was neat to order in Chinese. While they did not have fantuan, my friend and I basically got everything else on the breakfast menu: doujiang with youtiao, chive pancakes, radish cake, pan fried dumplings (a lot of fried dishes). My favorite was the doujiang youtiao combination! Cannot wait to come back and try their noodles!

Just don't know why no many Chinese people come to this Chinese restaurant for dinner but only weekend lunch?

We have known this place for many years and used to come here once a while for weekend brunch. Because of COVID, we had not come until very recently. This place has not changed very much since their opening, even the selections of their food. However, if you are craving for Taiwanese food, this is one of very few places left in Boston area. I have to say that their food is not bad. This restaurant has very small space so you might have to wait for a long time on the weekends depending on your timing. However, the service is not great and they tend to forget your orders if they are not the very popular ones. I think they cook popular food in batch so they can serve people quickly. But it took us almost one and half hour to get all our food. We had Chinese fried dough, sweet soy bean milk, chive pie, Taiwan style turnip cake, spring rolls, Taiwan vermicelli soup with chitlins, spicy pig ear salad, seaweed salad, and tofu salad with preserved duck egg.

If you're ever craving Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, this place does it well. Chung-Shin Yuan is a nice little establishment that serves good Taiwanese food. On the weekends they do Taiwanese brunch which I go for. The scallion beef rolls are crispy and tasty, and the fried dough snd sweet soy milk are classics. They get very busy so plan accordingly. Even take-out, the quality is top notch.

A typical Americanized Chinese restaurant (one that I would never go) during weekdays turns into a authentic Taiwanese/Shanghainese style dim sum place during weekend brunch! I live super close to Chung Shin Yuan and glad that I don't have to drive far when I crave a nice bowl of freshly made soy milk （甜豆浆）and Chinese fried dough (油条). The place is pretty small and gets really packed during brunch hours (opens at 11:30) and I've definitely waited in line multiple times. But the service is super quick - you get everything you order within 5 minutes, so I've never had to wait for more than 20 minutes for a table. The menu is not too large, but I'm perfectly happy ordering the same few items almost every time. Can't go wrong with them - -Sweet soy milk and fried dough (yes, you had to dip the dough into the milk! It will taste much better!) -Pancake with sliced beef (牛肉夹饼） -Braised Beef Noodle Soup （牛肉面） -Spicy sliced pig ears (红油耳丝） -Soft tofu with preserved eggs (皮蛋豆腐）

I've been here for years for brunch. The combination of soy milk and fried dough is great. It does get crowded during peak hour and every customer waiting would be looking at you on the table, especially in the winter when everyone tries to squeeze indoor when wait.

A good place to have brunch. The fried stick dough and five spice beef sandwich are good. The service is fine, however, it seems they want you to finish your food ASAP. Not sure just the day, or always like that. Pretty busy place and no reservation.

we were happy that they do dine in. as usual there was a line before they opened. but plenty of parking around if you get there before they opened. everything we ordered today were light but good. we havent been here in a while but had to come by for their food again, we liked this place a lot. both the cold dishes were really spicy and good snack to be snacking on. this is the only place which they actually fried the turnip cake and weren't soggy. wish the tofu salad was a little colder but it was still good. the food definitely came out quick after you ordered.

A very decent Chinese/Taiwanese dim sum place in Newton. The sweet soy bean milk and fried dough are very satisfying, reminds me of my childhood. Although I have to say, it's a little bit overpriced, but I still would go. Other dishes are worth trying as well like the steamed spareribs, tofu salad, or the steamed/fried buns are all very good. If you don't want to wait to get a seat, definitely come earlier and get seated ASAP. During this weird time of COVID they also do take out and delivery so you can order online as well!

Went there on Saturday for brunch around 12:30pm, already lined up. The foods are just like those in local restaurants back in China when I was a kid. Waitresses are great, they would like to help whatever you asked

We came on Sunday especially for the Taiwanese food. The food was wonderful. My Mama and I came. We are a Taiwanese-American family. The savory soy milk made me so happy. Took me back to Taipei family run small stalls. Have not had as good as this since I was there. As was really everything. And we ordered a lot. The spare ribs with the yams were unique and delicious. We are already planning what to order for next time! One question, would you ever consider serving Gua Bao?

I was driving down the road and I just happen to see a place that made dim sum so I decided to stop and go win I thought it would be fabulous since there were approximately 30 Asians sitting out front waiting to get a table. I proceeded to go in and asked how long for a table it was over a half hour it being 1 o'clock on a Saturday it seems that they do a good business so I decided to get some takeout. FYI they do not make chicken feed here which is my favorite but I decided to get the Shao-Bing with five spice beef sandwich. I assumed it would be a quick easy thing and yes they had it ready for me in two minutes excellent service extremely fast. Now for the Shao-Bing sandwich. There really wasn't much to it for $6.50. You had the Shao-Bing with a little a five spice beef inside of it. The beef was a bit Grizzley for my taste and the Shao-Bing was very hard I don't think I'll be ordering this again. No offense to the restaurant the rest of the food must be great because there's a line out the door everyone at the table seem to be enjoying their food so I will have to come back another time and try some other dishes for now I was going to give it a mediocre three star review but I asked for extra napkins and got absolutely no napkins whatsoever zero napkins thanks a lot!! Now I'll just give it a mediocre at two stars.

This is one restaurant where the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" stands. The outside is unappealing and one of those places that you would probably drive by 100 times and not realize it's there. However, the long lines outside on the weekend will probably tell you it's a place worth trying and I agree! This review is for the weekend brunch. Don't be intimidated by the line, the restaurant is pretty large and most people get seated pretty quickly. I came 10 minutes before opening, jumped in line with about 15 other people waiting and was able to snag a table. For 2 people, we ordered the five spice beef sandwich, sweet soybean milk (you must get the fried dough with it!), chive pie, short ribs, and pig ear salad. Everything was decent, however my personal favorite was the fried dough and the five spice beef sandwich. The chive pie was okay and sounds exactly as is. That's something I probably won't get again. Prices here are kind of high, but the portions are fairly large. We paid 40 before tip for 2 people. I will definitely be back to try out the other dishes!

Ah, I'm so torn about CSY! It's pretty good, especially for Taiwanese breakfast in Boston which is pretty hard to find. I think it's one of two restaurants in the Greater Boston area that serves salty soymilk for breakfast -- sadly, it wasn't very flavorful! I had to add vinegar and soy sauce; otherwise, it just tasted like regular soymilk with some floating pieces of youtiao in it, none of the spicy oil and dried shrimps that normally make salty soymilk so delicious. The youtiao are actually pretty good but I found the chive pancake undersalted and the radish cake texture-wise excellent but also bland, without the typical bits of ground meat and dried shrimp. The glutinous steamed pork ribs were pretty good, and probably my favorite item on their breakfast menu that I tried, with the chunks of sweet potato on the bottom of the steamer soaking up all the fat and oil. Very yummy. Overall, this is a great place to come to on the weekends if you're craving traditional Taiwanese breakfast...but that's more a function of Boston being such an Asian food desert than anything. The wait was about 30 minutes long on a Sunday morning at 11:45am, so not terrible -- and service is friendly and quick. We paid $40 after tax and tip for 5 things, so the prices are very reasonable.

I'm torn between 4 and 5. Came again with my one remaining good friend from my youth while back visiting family. This was a go to place for us for lunch through late high school and beyond. It never disappoints and runs between outstanding and very good. Always a treat to come back here. It had probably been a decade since last time I.dined here, but left happy as always. Have been coming here since the late 80s...

If you dont know this place, i will be SAD. The soy milk is fresh and 油条(fried dough) is extremely good

Went with a Taiwanese friend. I haven't been to Taiwan but I do think this is a place I can go to every other day

For the last 20 years, I occasionally went to the weekend brunch at this place but I probably would not go back as quality of foods have gone downhill, and service is bad (service has always been bad anyway). In the past, tolerance of bad service was traded for good foods, but not anymore. The 2 stars are mostly for nostalgia and a little bit for the foods. If this is my first time eating here, it would definitely be a one star review. As for service, bad service is almost always expected at most Asian-owned restaurants (let's face it, it is a fact, 9 out of 10 restaurants in Chinatown or surrounding areas are like that) anyway. As for foods, lots of salt/MSG was added as I felt a lot more thirsty than past years. The 5 spice beef sandwich is dry and blend. The soup dumplings are probably from Primefoods dumplings (嘉嘉, I eat that a lot so I immediately recognized it), that is disgraceful. The pig ears is very cold (it is a cold dish but it is like freezer cold). Even the scallion pancake is overly fried (used to be one of the best in the area). The Taiwan chow mein is greasy and not that good. As recent as 10 years ago, there was not a lot of variety or competitions in the area but that has changed in recent years. So why tolerate bad service and bad foods when there are better ones out there (Shangri-La in Belmont is just a tiny bit better but I heard that they were affiliated many years ago)? I remember the lines were very long back in the old days, today was like 10-15 minutes wait, and I think that says it a lot about this restaurant. The waitresses (all 3, 1 with glasses as she has been around for a long time, always arrogant) managed to screw up dishes/orders for 4 tables on our side! For all the reasons above, this restaurant does not need to be revisited, period. It is sad as it has been a great restaurant for foods, and it is nostalgic.

It's been awhile since I was so unsure of my final rating on a review. Honestly, my ranges were from 2 to 4, but settled on 3 due to lack of a similar option in the area (and for Taiwanese brunch on the weekends, very limited options in Boston) despite the many dishes that missed their mark, although they were close. Since their brunch offering is a bit like tapas with lots of variety of dishes to choose from, this review will be more like a list for ease: The Pros: -Taiwanese Brunch. Not many places offer this, and it's very reminiscence of childhood memories in Taiwan! -Soy bean milk is solid - not too sweet or creamy, a perfect balance! -It's packed. I know, weird pro point, but that just means it's a solid place if you're willing to wait as this restaurant is in a very secluded neighborhood. -Pan fried dumplings were very delicious. Although I would have preferred thicker skin, but that's my American side coming out. The Cons: -Limited seats. Brunch is of course their prime time, so consider coming right when they open or around 1-2pm when the first wave starts to die down. -Tiny steamed dumplings didn't do it - skin was dry, and the taste unfortunately bland. Plus, they didn't have black vinegar to dip with - wtf! -Spicy beef noodle soup was not spicy. One of the three items on there with a chili sign.. so.. I expected.. you know, spicy. Well it wasn't. Also, could have used some bok choy, it was a bit heavy with just noodles and beef (which were good at least). The Compromise: -Lack of Parking. Literally about 3-4 spots off-street. On-street is a bit of a stretch as this is more off a residential area, so you'll be a bit confused finding street parking. But there's actually ample space despite the restaurant being crowded - you just may need to walk a bit. Just don't park at the adjacent McDonalds! -Fried dough was HUGE and tasty - however, it was a bit too crispy (not enough dough, or they overfried it). -Vermicelli with chitlins (pig's intestines, it sounds gross but trust me, this is a delicious Taiwanese staple) was very delicious and hard to find so well prepared in Boston, but missing pickled veggies. How can you not add this, it's a staple in itself. How. Howwww?? - Shao-bing beef sandwich was solid, but dry. Could have used Hoisin sauce. Maybe my standards are a bit higher since I eat some good ass authentic Taiwanese cuisine at home, and have scoured the streets of Taiwan nomming on street food in the past. However, many dishes fell short of my expectations despite presenting a solid dish. In any case, I do recommend trying the Vermicelli with chitlins. Seriously. Try it. If I had to name a dish that represents Taiwan, it would be that dish, so swallow any second thoughts and be adventurous!

Haven't been here for almost 20 years and things seem to have not changed much. Love the spareribs, ja jern meen (noodles), and sweet soy milk! The spareribs were semi-fall off the bones and it doesn't look like the traditional spareribs you get at a Chinese dim sum place. The sweet soy milk was addictive! The noodles were super soft. I didn't like the turnip cake as much. The fried crueler was kind of hard. Staff was nice. Overall, a different but good experience.

I have a mix feeling about this place. Chung Shin Yuan is known in the community: A great place to get Taiwanese-style brunch during the weekend. Until one day I tried their catering one time and kind of like their fried chicken wings and fried noodles, that's the time I decided to give their weekday's menu a try, but that escalate quickly ... * Dinner portion is way less than the regular restaurant at the same price point * Food is just ok, not particularly impressive. Since I would give 2-star for their weekday menu, 4-star for weekend brunch, Overall: 3-star.

A gem for authentic Szechuan/Taiwanese breakfast food tucked in Newton. Easy to miss this hole in the wall joint. They have a small parking area off California Street with 4 spots and another one further back. Avoid coming at peak hours! On weekends there's already a line 30 minutes before opening. I've been here twice and loved it both times! The salty soy milk with crispy dough is so strange yet so delicious. The perfect balance! Topped with minced garlic, the steamed ribs fall right off the bone. The spicy beef noodles is another popular dish. For someone who can't handle spice I'd say it was surprisingly mild. The soup dumpling are average. The skin is a bit thick and here was barely any soup! The beef brisket sandwich was my least favorite. I like the crispy sesame pancake they use as a bun, but the meat was dry, chewy and hardly marinated. No sauces to accompany it either.

I miss homey Taiwanese food. My friend told me about this place and I was super excited to see if this could satisfy my craving. From Harvard, the uber was 15 mins around $10 on a saturday morning. I probably wouldn't come back, but it is worth a try since not many places nearby made this kind of taiwanese food. I do have high standards since I'm taiwanese. The food fell short of my expectations and was just okay. I liked: -The hot sweet soy bean milk with fried dough was good. The dough was huge and crispy. It brought me back to the street stands in taiwan. -spiced pork ribs with sweet potatoes was surprisingly good. The fat from the meat made the potatoes super soft and delicious. This was the saving grace of the meal. Ok dishes: -Taiwanese vermicelli with chilins and potstickers were just okay. Not a lot of places make the vermicelli so it was nice to eat it since I do miss taiwanese breakfast. It just didn't have a strong flavor. Just no: Don't order the soup dumplings- no soup, thick skin, and blah.

The food is ok, the service is terrible. The environment is old and smelling! They only service the whites. It is a Chinese restaurant, but I got a arrogant attitude since I walked in cuz I am an Asian. It seems I am not welcomed. And the 15% tips is forced when I pay the bill, included already. If they service me well I am willing to give them more than 15% but the way they treat me I feel being insulted. And the waitress hand me the bill while I am not eating. Super rude! 中国人不要来！又难吃服务又差。

I have a huuuuuge nostalgia for Chung Shin Yuan having grown up in Newtonville. That said, I was recently in town for a wedding and used the opportunity to go back and get some take out. There were the usual staples of chicken wings, crispy sesame beef, eggplant with garlic, and hot and sour soup. The same family welcomed me at the front door and I was most pleasantly surprised that nothing much has changed in years. The chicken wings were meaty, crispy, marinated and yummy. My favorite, and hard to find dish is the crispy sesame beef. Its a cross between jerky and fried beef, deep fried and sauced with a sweet tangy layer that is absolutely irresistible. I cant find this dish in NYC , amazing. In short I am still craving Chung Shin Yuan and am stoked that they have kept the quality going all these years. PS: their Taiwanese dim sum on weekends is top notch as well.

Horrible servers The owners are rude and arrogant. The food not even authentic Taiwanese. Spend your mon elsewhere

It's been a decade since I've been back to this place for authentic Taiwanese breakfast. I still love dunking fried u-toy in hot sweet soybean milk and eating preserved eggs over tofu with along with a plate of a toasted sesame seed sandwich with slices of braised meat. I also like anything with chives whether it's in a pancake or dumplings. The xiao long bao doesn't have much soup, so I'd go elsewhere fo it. Service is fast. This place is usually packed unless you go early or late. Parking is available on the street.

OMG was this place money. **The Turnip Cakes had an amazing garlic dipping sauce. **Five-Spice noodle soup was like nothing I've tasted, as was the similar cold beef. **Very good dumplings. And CHEAP ... tons of food, huge table, $15 a head with tax & tip. Be forewarned - the wait at brunch was very long, don't go with anyone for whom that is a dealbreaker.

Sick and tired of eating Chinese dim sum? How about Twainese brunch this weekend? Brunch is only on weekend from 11:30am to 2:30pm. This is a small place and it's always PACKED!!!!!!! during brunch hours. I suggest going with 2-4 people since the restaurant is small and there's limited seating. Don't expect great service because time is money here! If you want to avoid the wait order food to go and try it at home. Either way it's worth a try... :) Food to consider: Soy bean milk, fried dough, sticky rice, scallion pancake, and spareribs.